Medical assistance is fully covered and free for citizens
of member countries of the European Union. To benefit
from this you must have a European Health Insurance
Card (EHIC) or, if this card is not in operation in
the country of origin, whatever valid document made
available by the country until the correct card is
available.

This card replaces temporary residence forms and with
it you will received the same medical and healthcare
services as the Spanish have in your country. You
need simply organise it in your country of origin
before travelling.

Private doctors and clinics do not accept the EHIC
and therefore payment for these services will be exclusively
to the account of the immigrant or he/she must have
an insurance policy to cover these costs. The attention
received therefrom is that of the general practice
health centres and doctors, who will handle specific
referrals by means of a certificate. The hospitals
also have emergency services.

In the event of forgetting or losing your Healthcare
Card, all medical, hospital and medication costs that
arise from the care received must be paid, which will
be subsequently reimbursed by the affiliated organism,
providing all the duly stamped documentation is presented.
For this reason, it is important to check your papers
carefully prior to travelling to Spain.

In the event of requiring hemodialysis, you must have
the requisite form and have it authorised by the competent
institution in the country of origin. The same thing
governs any other type of specific treatment. Dental
treatments only cover emergency extractions. Dental
treatments must be undertaken privately.
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have
community regulations, and therefore the same benefits
corresponding to member countries will apply.

The Spanish National Health System has an extensive
network of health centres and hospitals distributed
throughout the entire national geography. In them,
both primary care services and specialist assistance
can be provided.

All foreign immigrants have the right to a Health
System while they remain on Spanish soil. Spain has
a public and free health system; all those on its
territory have the right to receive its services.
But attention: foreigners that do not come from countries
with bilateral treaties in relation to health must
pay for the medical and pharmaceutical services they
receive, and therefore taking out a health insurance
policy is recommended. Then they can be reimbursed
whatever they have paid out.

The type of services received will depend on the circumstances:
If you are not here on a regular basis and are not
inscribed on the local census of any Spanish town,
you only have access to emergency healthcare. Faced
with a medical emergency you will be given emergency
treatment in the Health Centre and if you cannot get
there on your own, the emergency telephone number
is 061 or 112.
This will cover medical care for serious illnesses
or in the event of accident. The healthcare gives
the right to continued observation until medical discharge.

If the immigrant is here on a regular basis or has
authorisation to reside in Spain, he/she has the right
to healthcare providing he/she is inscribed on the
census. Spain provides access to healthcare under
the same conditions as for the Spanish, with the only
requisite being prior inscription on the census of
the town in which you live, regardless of the legal
situation.

If under eighteen you have the right to medical care
under the same conditions as the Spanish.

If the person were to be pregnant she will have the
right to medical care during the pregnancy, the birth
and postpartum.

To do so, you must go to the Primary Care Centre closest
to you, with your census inscription confirmation
and a personal document for identification purposes.

There they will give you an individual healthcare
card which will accredit you as user of the National
Health System.

Then you will be assigned a GP and the card will be
requested every time you use this service. In addition,
you will have access to the Social Security pharmaceutical
services. More information from the healthcare centre
or telephonically on 012.

In relation to medication, in Spain this can only
be obtained in chemists. Medical services are the
only ones able to prescribe treatments or give prescriptions.
You must take your prescriptions with you if you will
require medication during your trip and you must avoid
exceeding the amounts required for each treatment.

All this said, and although the Spanish healthcare
system is in optimal condition, it is always good
to take out travel insurance to cater for the unexpected.
The unexpected can often lead to very significant
costs for which one must be prepared.

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